Praedonus Reach
Also known as the Highway of the Galaxy,' '''the Praedonus Reach Sector represents to most vessels fast and convenient route through Imperial space, as the areas around the Reach have been known to give way to massive Warp Storms and violent shifts in the Astronomican. But all not all vessels are aware of the risk, as within Reach Pirate-Gangs roam the void within the Sector, preying on Imperial ships for loot and supplies. Add that to it's relative obscurity and Sector-spanning criminal underworld, the Praedonus Reach has become a haven for the scum of the galaxy, where illegal activities often pass right under the Imperium's nose. History Ancient Origins The Praedonus Reach's was one of the more heavily populated Sectors during the Age of Technology, as it was one of the first to be colonized by humanity from the onset. Once the habitable worlds had been populated, the myriad nation-planets created a Sector-wide system of trade and commerce between the human colonies, known to them as the Trade Web, sharing resources and technology to create and almost utopia-like society of cultural sharing and societal teamwork. This peaceful existence continued on until the Age of Strife, in which the planets where suddenly separated by violent Warp Storms, cutting the human colonies off from one another and utterly destroying the Trade Web. Without the constant influx of resources societies were forced to rigorously adapt to their present conditions, entire ways of life changing almost overnight. In just a few decades time the colonies had collapsed into techno-barbarism, pale shadows of what they once were. When the Warp Storms finally did abate, the varied nations of the Sector looked to each other and saw not allies, but new frontiers ripe for the conquering. Old derelict merchant vessels once used for peaceful trade were outfitted with powerful weapons and armored hulls, reforged into tools of destruction. What had once been a paradise transformed into one massive battlefield, as the once idyllic colonies waged a war within the void. Fleets of warships wielding barely-understood technologies fought and burned in the skies of a hundred different planets, often scouring said planets of life in the process, killing off entire sub-sectors worth of people. The brutal battles later known as the Void Wars would rage on for nearly half a century, but ultimately in the face of mass genocides and dwindling resources, the respective leaders of the surviving nations declared a shaky truce between the colonies, in an effort to stop the madness that had become almost commonplace within the Sector. Gradually the nation-planets would cease hostilities, progressing to the point where the Trade Web was re-established, although it would never again be as successful as it had been all those decades before. With commerce between the planets resuming once again, peace, albeit an uneasy peace, had returned to the sector. The downfall of this new tranquility would come in the form of the colonies now-defunct naval militaries, themselves reduced to relics of a bloody past. With no war, there was no reason for them to exist, and thus were disbanded effective immediately. This was easier said than done, as these battle-hardened soldiers knew nothing but bloodshed, and thus this new society did not sit well with them. Knowing no other way of life, the millitaries rebelled, taking to the stars in their warships, raiding trade routes and looting merchant ships, answering to no one save themselves. The colonies were slow to react, as these new Pirate-Gangs had taken nearly all of their military with them, and thus were near helpless before the onslaught of savage raids. Imperial Influences The sectors saving grace came with the newly-formed Imperium of Man, in the late stages of the Great Crusade. The Sector was first discovered by a detachment of an Imperial Expedition Fleet, led by the mighty voidship ''Praedonus. To the Imperials surprise the colonies of the Sector welcomed them with open arms, thinking them to be saviors. In those same days did the Imperium become aware of the Pirate-Gangs, as the corsairs had tried to attack several of their support vessels as they went deeper into the Sector. Surprisingly sympathetic to the colonies plight, the Fleet turned it's attention to the Pirates, nearly eradicating them within the first few years. While they put up a fight, ultimately the Pirates where to thinly spread and simply did not have the sheer manpower to stand up to the Imperium's warships, and thus any Pirate fleets found by the Imperials where obliterated down to the last man. Very few Pirate-Gangs escaped the wrath of the Imperium, and those who did went into a self-imposed exile, hiding amongst the long-dead worlds in the farthest reaches of the Sector. With that, the grateful populace willingly fell into Imperial compliance, conforming to the Imperial Truth and in honor of their saviors, named their Sector the Praedonus Reach, after the first Imperial ship to enter their region. Once again the inhabitants of the newly named Praedonus Reach knew peace, and once again that peace was shattered. When the chaos of the Horus Heresy gripped the Galaxy, much of the Imperial forces stationed within the Reach with withdrawn to assist in the war effort. While the Traitors under the command of the Arch-Heretic Horus paid the Sector little mind, as it held very little strategic value, the Traitors where hardly the worst of the Reach's problems. After being exiled for so long, the Pirate-Gangs saw the Imperium's withdrawal from the Sector as their chance to once more gain a foothold with the region that had once been their old stomping ground. This time however, the Pirates advanced cautiously, at first only raiding vessels that strayed to far from the Trade Web's shipping lanes, but eventually resuming their assaults with a vengeance. By the time the Heresy had ended, the Praedonus Reach once again new the terror of the Pirate-Gangs. At Present One would think that the sheer amount of criminal activity within the Praedonus Reach would warrant an Imperial Purge, and it would, if the Imperium was fully aware of how deep-seated the corruption was. The Highway of the Galaxy is mainly known for being a fast route through the Imperium, if nothing else, and only those who live within the Sector are aware of the existence of the Pirate-Gangs. The Trade Web also still exists, although it is run and regulated by the Adeptus Administratum presence within the Reach. The Trade Web is also a prime target for the Pirate-Gangs, and while fearsome, the Pirates are neither numerous nor powerful enough to warrant Imperial military action against them, and thus are considered to be an internal problem of the Praedonus Reach. However, the presence of the Pirate-Gangs makes it easy for other illicit activities to go on within the Reach, such as slavery, drug trade, and smuggling. Imperial authorities are often to concerned by the Pirate-Gangs to notice the presence of these criminal acts, or are so corrupt that they look the other way. While the state of affairs within the Reach is wretched, the small size and strategic insignificance of the Sector makes it a haven for all kinds of scum, as very few are aware of what truly goes on. Astrology The Praedonus Reach is situated at the fringe of the Segmentum Tempestus, surrounded by the twin regions known as the Graveyards, due to the fact that the veil between the Materium and the Immaterium is painfully thin, resulting in frequent Warp Storms and flickers in the Astronomican. Many ships have been lost within the Graveyards, and thus it is much easier and less time comsuming to plot a course through the Reach than risk destruction within the Warp or plot a course around the Graveyards. The Reach itself is composed of six sub-sectors, although one of these sub-sectors is an area known as the Dead Zone, a collection of three completely lifeless sub-sectors, home only to burnt-out husks that might have once been planets. This area was supposedly the main battlefront of the pre-Imperial Void Wars, and thus is rumored to being the hiding place of ancient Archotech from the Age of Technology, attracting many a Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator Team. The remaining Sub-Sectors aren't particularly remarkable, mostly made up of Imperial Hive Worlds along with a few Agri-Worlds and Mining Worlds. Many of these planets are habitable, most suitable for colonization, discounting a rare few Death Worlds with particularly dangerous environs. Sub-Sectors Each of the Sub-Sector's most notable planets are listed below: 'Opulentia Sub-Sector' *'Tharsis' - A Hive World and Capital of the Praedonus Reach, Tharsis is a world of polar opposites, made up of opulent Upper Hives in which the Imperial notability lord over the "common folk" and a wretched Underhive in which crime and all manner of shady dealings take place on a daily basis. One would think that on a world where criminals are commonplace, Tharsis would would maintain a strong Adeptus Arbites presence, when in reality the Tharsisian Arbites are dangerously overworked and undermanned. This is mainly due to the machinations of the criminal network known only as the Syndicate, an organization of criminals whose reach spans the entire sector. This shadowy group is run by the Vires Family, a powerful and influential Imperial noble family, who masquerade as lawful citizens but are in fact a dynasty of crime lords. *'Minorat Prime '- Also known as the Planet of Scribes, Minorat Prime is both a Hive World, and the home of one of the largest Adeptus Administratum presences in the entire Segmentum. The main role of the countless clerks and scribes that inhabit the Hive World is to regulate the Praedonus Reach's Sector-spanning Trade Web, coordinating shipment times, designating trade routes, and compensating for the ever-present scourge that is the Pirate-Gangs. 'Aberdaen Cluster' *'Delkon's Landing' - Named after the Magos who founded it, Delkon's Landing is a Forge World, built on top of a volcanic and highly unstable landscape. Magma and toxic fumes constantly spew from the planet's crust, making it almost impossible for non-augmented creatures to survive on the planet, which suits the Tech-Preists just fine. While not a Forge World of particular renown, Delkon's Landing does often serve as a staging ground for Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator Teams aiming to enter the Dead Zone, in search of precious Archotech. *'Sudor '- A remote Mining World who's once fertile savannahs and grasslands have been stripped away as the Imperium delves deeper into the planet in search of precious metals. Sudor was once the homeworld of a primitive feline xenos known as the Ferok, who where wiped out in a xenocidal campaign during the Imperial colonization of the Praedonus Reach. The planet also shares an almost symbiotic relationship with the Forge World of Delkon's Landing, as it provides the raw materials the Tech-Priests require, and in turn the miners receive the tools they require to ply their craft. *'Silva II '- An unremarkable Agri-World of fertile forests and shallow oceans, nothing is particularly special about the idyllic world of Silva II, other than the fact that this small planet supplies most of the food for it's Sub-Sector. 'Terion Expanse' *'Cobis Quinar '- The Praedonus Reach's only Death World, Cobis Quinar is also known as the Silver Wastes, due to it's infamous landscape of silvery deserts and deadly "Dust Storms" known to strip the flesh from bone in mere seconds. As a result, the citizens live in massive walled-off cities, as protection from the "Dust Storms", although the planet's lack of natural resources means that it's society depends on food shipments from the Trade Web to survive. However, recent attacks by the Pirate-Gangs have drastically effected Cobis Quinar's already dwindling supplies, causing famine and riots within the citizenry. While their have been no actual uprisings as of yet, many believe it is only a matter of time before the Silver Wastes are consumed by anarchy. *'Koryza '- a remote iceball of a planet situated in the farthest reaches of the Terion Sub-Sector, none who first look upon the lonely world of Koryza would guess that it is actually an Agri-World. Underneath the frozen glaciers lie entire arctic seas filled with a variety of rare aquatic creatures, most of which are considered a delicacies throughout the Praedonus Reach. This unfortunately has made the space around the Agri-World the popular stomping ground of quite a few Pirate-Gangs, who also happen to be quite partial to Koryza's rare brands of seafood. 'Quintenial Sub-Sector' *'Prid'es '- A small, somewhat obscure Shrine World located within the Quintenial Sub-Sector, Prid'es is possibly the only place in the entire Praedonus Reach where the Ecclesiarchy maintains a strong presence, although "strong" is somewhat of misnomer. Prid'es is supposedly the resting place of the Imperial Saint Ivan Tenebrous, although very few even remember what Tenebrous did to become an Imperial Saint in the first place. *'Redgaze '- A massive Gas Giant, Redgaze is named after the fact that from a distance it resembles a gigantic blazing red eye. Redgaze serves as a sort of Mining World, as in orbit of the Gas Giant lie small gas-harvesting stations, responsible for creating voidship fuel and other kinds of industrial chemicals. This also makes it a refueling station for Imperial vessels and a target for marauding Pirate-Gangs in need of fuel. 'Argos Sub-Sector' *'Gnavigo '- A remote Agri-World, this bleak and dismal planet is known only for it's fetile soil, where it's scattered farms produce a moderate amount of crops each year. However, to the criminal underbelly of the Praedonus Reach, Gnavigo is the perfect hiding place for criminals on the run, and thus unbeknownst to the Imperium this out-of-the-way Agri-World has become a haven for convicts of all kinds. Other Notable Features *'Port Zero '- Within the Dead Zone there is a barren, half-destroyed moon known to the Adeptus Mechanicus as D-M934, a former Mechanicus mining facility. When the ore within the moon ran dry, the Mechanicus abandoned the mines, leaving behind a desolate rock riddled with derelict tunnels and processing plants. But, despite what the Imperium might think, D-M934 is hardly abandoned, and has in fact become the most popular gathering place for all kinds of criminals, whether they be Pirate-Gangers, smugglers, murderers or black marketeers, any kind of scum is welcome in Port Zero. Owned by a wealthy if extremely enigmatic man known only as Gestalt, Port Zero is a bar, meeting house, and club all rolled into one, where humans mingle with abhumans, mutants, and even xenos on a daily basis. The old facilities have been renovated, the docks refurbished, the tunnels transformed into hallways, run by a small docket of clerks and a group of armed mercenaries known as the Peacekeepers, who are responsible for making sure that the various factions stay "peaceful" while staying at Port Zero. Many have wondered how Gestalt acquired the funds to create such a place, when in reality their is no Gestalt, and Port Zero is in fact owned by Jack Crade, the Port's friendly bartender whose contacts within the Syndicate pay him in return for information he "overhears" while plying the bar, allowing the Syndicate to stay one step ahead of it's competitors. This is a deal few are aware of, and even fewer live to tell about it. *''Nevermore ''- Throughout the Praedonus Reach their is a ghost story that mothers tell their children to scare them at night, a old legend that old Pirate-Gangers recite when their crewmates are in need of some entertainment, the tale of the Daemon-ship Nevermore. To most it's just a legend, a tale of a ghostly ship crewed by the souls of the damned, haunting the farthest reaches of the Sector and dragging unfortunate ships to their doom. The "official" story goes that when the Imperial Explorator Fleet first discovered the Praedonus Reach, the battleship Nevermore was sent to investigate the volatile areas known as the Graveyards. This was the unfortunate ship's demise, as within the unstable Graveyard was the Nevermore ''swallowed by the Warp, never to be seen again. Then many years later reports of a ghostly battleship began circulating throughout the Reach, although those ships that did spot the vessel disappeared weeks later, vanishing without a trace. The ''Nevermore ''would eventually become a harbinger of bad luck, an evil omen to all those who saw it, and while many have claimed to have seen the ghost ship, none of the sightings have ever been confirmed. While many dismiss the existence of the ''Nevermore ''as little more than a rumor, some amongst the Inquisitions' Ordo Malleus are not so sure... The Pirate-Gangs The Pirate-Gangs have existed for so long within the Praedonus Reach that they have almost become a sort of sub-culture within the Sector, to the point where they even have established traditions of their own. Since the days of the Age of Strife have they preyed on the merchant-vessels of the Trade Web, overrunning and looting the ship before disappearing back into the void. Many wonder precisely how these gangs of criminals and corsairs have managed to sustain themselves for so long, leading to many superstitions and legends about the infamous raiders; some say they make fell pacts with daemons to grant them supernatural powers, other believe they use ancient technology to make themselves immortal. Of course these rumors are false, as the truth is far simpler; the Pirate-Gangs simply know how to sustain themselves. Using proud traditions passed down over the years as guidelines, the Pirate-Gangs are far more organized that many would think, following a strict hierarchy, although said hierarchy can vary from Gang to Gang. Each Gang is typically headed by a Captain, who for all purposes is the de-facto leader of the Pirate-Gang. He is not only responsible for leading the Gang, but for making sure that the rules aboard his vessel are enforced. Alongside the Captain is his second-in-command, the Quartermaster, who is responsible for accounting the Gang's supplies and resources, as well as fairly divvying out any loot taken from a successful raid amongst the Gang. If either the Captain or the Quartermaster are to die, then his or her replacement is elected from the Gang itself via popular vote, usually resulting in the best candidate for the position to be picked. Without these basic rules, the Pirate-Gangs would have long since descended into anarchy. The home of every Pirate-Gang is their ship, and thus all Gangs know how to take care of their ship. These vessels are typically stolen Imperial warships, modified and refurbished to the point where their original model is barely recognizable. Since a Pirate-Gang has no Tech-Priests to maintain their precious vessel, repairs are undertaken by the reprogrammed Servitors most Gangs possess, as well as the Gangers themselves, as each one has at the very least a rudimentary knowledge of how technology functions. While repairs are often makeshift and slapdash at best, comparable to the craftsmanship of Orks, it often is just enough to get the vessel working again. The technology at the Pirate-Gangs disposal is often just as makeshift, a strange blend of Imperial, xenos, and in some rare cases even Archotech machinery that adorns their ship, adding to it's ramshackle appearance. One thing all Pirate-Gang vessels have in common is most run on sub-light engines, as they do not have access to Navigators or Astropaths, and thus must resort to making small, quick jumps skimming the surface of the Warp rather then delving straight into it. Of course the abillity to make extremely long-distance jumps isn't exactly needed since Pirate-Gangs rarely leave the Reach. These factors alone are what make the Pirate-Gangs capable of existing, although very few outside the Pirate-Gangs know of these "secrets". However these time-honored traditions are also what limit the Pirate-Gangs. For example; most if not all Pirate-Gang vessels are designed to be fast a maneuverable, able to overtake vessel, cripple it, and then quickly board it in order to scour it for valuables and supplies. But, Pirate ships are not designed to withstand a prolonged void battle, and thus are relatively helpless against bigger and more powerful warships such as those from the Imperial Navy. As a result Pirate-Gangs have to regulate their raids as not to draw unwanted attention to themselves, while at the same time often plan their raids ahead of time to reduce the damage their vessel with take as well as the number of casualties amongst Gang itself. Because of this, the Pirate-Gangs are present if hardly monumental threat, which keeps the Imperium from intervening, and most Gangs prefer it that way. Notable Gangs *'The Blazing Claw '- By far the most infamous of the Pirate-Gangs, the Blazing Claw has been responsible for some of the most devastating raids within the Praedonus Reach's history. Perhaps even more infamous than the Gang itself is the leader of the Claw, the terrifying Captain Mane, the the only remaining member of the long extinct xenos known as the Ferok. While greatly feared and brutal, very few actually see Mane as little more than a beast, and thus constantly underestimate the Captain's cunning, one of the many reasons why the Blazing Claw's raids have been so successful. The Claw is also known for it's possession of a strange Archotech weapon, said to be able to tear holes in the Materium with a single blast, although these rumors so far remain unconfirmed. *'Shylar's Maruaders '- Led by the flamboyant Captain Shylar Shrieksong, the Pirate-Gang known as Shylar's Maruaders bave carved quite a reputation for themselves throughout the Opulentia and Aberdaen Sub-Sectors. By far the most "motley" of the Gangs, the Maurauders Ganger's consist of humans, abhumans, mutants and even xenos of all kinds and descriptions. Captain Shylar himself is actually a xeno himself, an Eldar Outcast that masquerades as a human, although why precisely he hides his true identity is a mystery. *'The Mortis Venator '- The remnants of an ancient Death Cult that once thrived within the Silver Wastes of Cobis Quinar, resorting to piracy when their kind was almost wiped out during the Great Crusade. The Mortis Venator worship every aspect of death, even their name in the ancient Quinarian dialect translates to "Death Dealers". Hushed stories of their ferocity and unnerving zealotry are whispered throughout the Reach, tales of grim men and women with grinning skulls tattooed over their faces, their bodies covered in ritual scars, the results of their depraved traditions. Even worse however are the stories of the cult's leader and High Priestess Camora Vosar, of how she was kidnapped by the Mortis Venator as a little girl, tortured and tormented by the cult until she had become the ultimate Death Dealer, but of course these are only stories... *'The New Men '- The techno-reavers known as the New Men resemble sentient servitors for all the bionic parts that have been integrated into their bodies, and for good reason. Their leader, the rogue Tech-Priest Alarbus, is borderline obsessed with the acquisition of new technology, and thus are one of the most technologically-advanced of the Pirate Gangs, if one of the smallest. Constantly on the search for rare Archotech, the New Men often clash with the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus within the Dead Zone, fighting over ancient technology. Persons of Note 'Captain Mane' The fearsome leader of the Blazing Claw Pirate-Gang, Mane is one of the most well-known Pirate-Gangers in the Reach, feared by Imperial authorities and respected by his fellow corsairs. A massive lion-like xeno, Mane was born on the planet Sudor, the homeworld of his species until the Imperium destroyed them to make way for their mining operations. Mane himself was found as a cub by group of slavers conducting one of their many illicit deals upon the planet, who took him in hoping he might fetch a high price on the black market. From their Mane was raised as a slave, changing hands over and over again, treated like little more then a beast of burden. But what his unwitting captors realized to late was that Mane was far more cunning than he appeared, as he had secret planning a revolt with his fellow slaves for years now. When he and his allies were being transported on yet another slave-barge Mane made his move. At his signal the slaves broke their bonds and ran amok through the ship, killing slavers with their bare hands. After his escape, Mane and his followers would go on to form a Pirate-Gang that would eventually come to be known as the Blazing Claw. Mane is a brutal and merciless Gang Captain, with a intense hatred of the Imperium he sees as both corrupt and hopelessly hypocritical from his days under the lash of a slaver. But at the same time Mane is also quite aware that the Imperium sees him a beast that managed to collect a group of followers, a viewpoint which he exploits to no end, and thus who underestimate him usually end up either dead or wishing they were. 'Shylar Shrieksong' A infamous Ganger Captain known for his extravagant ways and devil-may-care attitude, Shylar by far a memorable figure, his own surname a private joke of his due to the fact that his singing voice sounds like a "dying ork with no teeth". But Captain Shrieksong has a secret, he is actually an Eldar Outcast, banished from his Craftworld and shunned by his species, but why he was exiled is a secret only he knows, and Shylar isn't very fond of sharing. Currently he masquerades as a human, leading the Pirate Gang known as Shylar's Marauders. 'Camora Vosar' High Priestess and leader of the Death Cult'/'''Pirate-Gang known as the Mortis Venator, Camora Vosar's origins are a mystery, as before she rose to power the Mortis Venator were a lose band of radicals and hardly the spacefaring threat they are now. According to whispered rumors she was kidnapped as a child, subjected to horrifying torments by her captors until she was broken in both mind and body, and then the cult proceeded to rebuild her until she had become the exemplar of the Venator. Whether these rumors are true or not is a topic of some debate, but none can deny that Vosar is both an effective and terrifying leader, one who has made the name of her cult feared throughout the Reach's underworld. Some tales even say that Camora Vosar is a Pariah, which would certianly fit such a "souless" woman, but that to is only a rumor. 'Alarbus "the Mad" The heretek and leader of the tech-obsessed New Men Pirate-Gang, Alarbus is best known as "the Mad' amongst the Tech-Priests, and for good reason. Alarbus originally split off from the Adeptus Mechanicus on Delkon's Landing on a fixated search for Archotech, and when his fellows began to question his sanity, he went rogue. He would later re-emerge into the Reach as the leader of the New Men, a small but powerful Pirate-Gang composed of cyborgs and reprogrammed Combat Servitors, all fanatically loyal to the renegade. Since then Alarbus has been scouring the Dead Zones in search of Archotech devises, constantly coming into conflict with his loyalist brethren. None know precisely what caused such a promising young Tech-Priest to turn against the Imperium, but many amongst the Mechanicus believe that Alarbus may have stumbled upon something he shouldn't have within the Dead Zone... '''Ludolf Vires Patriach of the Vires noble family and Crime Lord of the Syndicate, Ludolf Vires has run his family "business" for decades now, after receiving the position from his father whom he murdered in cold blood. While at first appearing to be mild-mannered and elegant, behind that facade lies a remorseless killer who has ordered the deaths of countless innocents, organized hundreds of illegal activities, and ordered it all from his lofty home on the Reach's capital world of Tharsis. As both the head of a wealthy and powerful Imperial family and the leader of a Sector-spanning criminal organization, Ludolf occupies a unique position that allows him to conduct most of his dirty dealings in his own house, without anyone ever knowing. With the amount of influence he has over the Praedonus Reach's underworld, Ludolf Vires could possibly take over the Sector if he wanted to, but for now seems content to stay in the shadows, conducting major crimes unbeknownst to the entire Imperium. (MORE TO FOLLOW) Quotes About Feel free to add your own! Trivia * Inspiration for this article is the time period known as the Golden Age of Piracy, in which Pirates were amazingly common in the areas in and around the Caribbean. This was basically supposed to be a kind of tribute to that era. Category:40kfan Category:Imperial Sectors Category:Places